Non-life-threatening calls to 995 will be referred to triage helpline in nation-wide trial from June 1, Singapore News
Non-life-threatening calls to 995 will be referred to NurseFirst, a medical triage helpline, from June 1 in a nation-wide trial.
According to a joint statement by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday (May 30), the pilot will run for six months in a bid to enhance the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) ability to cope with a rising demand for Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
The demand for EMS has been increasing rapidly over the years, and is expected to increase further given the ageing population and rising healthcare needs that Singapore currently faces.
In 2024, SCDF received a total of 245,279 EMS calls. With an average of 672 calls daily, up 57 per cent in the last decade, SCDF needs to prioritise timely emergency medical responses to those facing life-threatening emergencies. NurseFirst helpline
NurseFirst, operated by Woodlands Health (WH), was launched in February 2022 with funding from MOH to manage non-life-threatening cases in the northern district.
When 995 calls are assessed to be non-life-threatening, SCDF's Operations Centre will transfer the caller to the NurseFirst helpline, which will be manned by trained nurses, for further assistance.
These nurses, with medical oversight from emergency medicine physicians, will assess callers based on their symptoms and advise those with non-life-threatening conditions on appropriate alternative care options nearest to them.
The caller may be directed to an appropriate care provider, such as a general practitioner.
They may also be advised to call for a non-emergency ambulance or to take other self-care steps.
To ensure a seamless transition for the caller, the SCDF call-taker will provide key patient details to the nurse at NurseFirst.
"At any time during the call with the nurse at NurseFirst, if the patient's condition deteriorates, SCDF will be immediately notified to dispatch an ambulance," said the ministries.
NurseFirst will operate from 8am to 11pm daily during the six-month trial period. Outside of these hours, a 995 call deemed non-life-threatening will be handled by SCDF according to its current protocols.
The public can also call the NurseFirst helpline directly at 6262 6262 for non-life-threatening medical conditions, to receive timely medical advice at no cost.
SCDF and WH will assess the impact and effectiveness of the pilot before making a decision to extend NurseFirst's service.
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dana.leong@asiaone.com
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